Middlesbrough or Ipswich Town? Who Russell Martin thinks will win automatic promotion | OneFootball

Russell Martin has tipped Ipswich Town to beat Middlesbrough to automatic promotion from the Championship

Russell Martin has weighed in on the race between Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town to win automatic promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys sit just one place and two points behind second-place Boro and also boast a game in hand over Kim Hellberg's men, who have hit a poor spell of form.

Middlesbrough have earned just two wins in their last seven Championship games after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bristol City at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

In contrast, Ipswich have won three of their last five second-tier fixtures, but face a tough encounter when they host fellow top-two hopefuls Millwall this Saturday.

Russell Martin points to Norwich City evidence as he makes Ipswich Town promotion claim

Former Norwich City defender Russell Martin is no stranger to the Championship promotion race, having twice moved up from the second tier to the Premier League with the Canaries.

The 40-year-old has subsequently won promotion in his managerial career, steering Southampton to a play-off final victory over Leeds United in 2024.

Discussing the current promotion race on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club on 16 March, the ex-Saints boss said: "Part of me thinks Ipswich will do it because of the experience of Kieran (McKenna) doing it and the players they have.

"I think Middlesbrough are fantastic. I’ve enjoyed watching them, probably, more than anyone in the Championship this year. When we were in the Championship with Norwich the second time, after we got relegated, because we had so many players who had done it before, we almost felt like we'll do it, we know what it takes.

"The other teams, they’ll start feeling it a bit more."

Middlesbrough must keep pace with Ipswich Town ahead of vital April meeting

As alluded to by Martin, Ipswich know exactly what it takes to clinch promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, having achieved that feat only seasons ago.

The Tractor Boys also won promotion from League One to the second tier just one year before that, showing boss McKenna's unwavering appetite for success.

In contrast, Middlesbrough haven't competed in the Premier League since suffering relegation from the top flight in 2017, and Hellberg hadn't managed in English football until moving to the North East in November.

Meanwhile, if Ipswich win their game in hand and match, or better Boro's other results, they will leapfrog Hellberg's men into the automatic promotion spots.

Crucially, the Tractor Boys are set to host Middlesbrough on 18 April, in an encounter which could decide which club joins Championship leaders Coventry City in next season's Premier League.

Current form suggests that Ipswich will soon overtake Boro, so the North East side must ensure that they are at least in touching distance of McKenna's men by the time they lock horns.

Both sides have tough Championship fixtures standing in the way of promotion to the Premier League, but it is Ipswich who will currently favour themselves.

The Tractor Boys' confidence will be heavily boosted if they beat fourth-place Millwall this Saturday.

In contrast, Middlesbrough will have a firmer grip on a second-place finish if they beat Blackburn Rovers on the weekend and Ipswich are beaten by the Lions.

There are set to be plenty of twists and turns at the business end of the campaign, though, and McKenna's experience could prove a vital factor.